How Air Pollution, Sunshine & Residential Greenness Affect Your Vitamin D Status

Science continues to confirm something humans have intuitively known for quite some time: Being in nature is good for our health.

And while the effect of green and blue spaces on our mental well-being, sleep health, and cognitive function has been established for some time now, scientists have recently started investigating how environmental factors directly affect vitamin D status.

During the Environment International study, residential greenness (i.e., the amount of natural vegetation surrounding a person's home) was found to decrease the likelihood of VDD.

UV radiation was also found to decrease the likelihood of VDD. And while it's true that increasing your sunlight exposure can raise your vitamin D levels, there are many other factors at play—such as age, sex, skin tone, latitude, climate, season, and time spent outside with skin exposed.

Sunshine isn't a reliable source of vitamin D for most people in most climates around the world. Food isn't a great solution either, considering vitamin D is found in minimal amounts in most dietary sources.

The truth is this: Supplementation is the most efficient way to reach healthy vitamin D status.* That said, not all vitamin D supplements are created equal.

Vitamin D deficiency is a global problem, and environmental health affects healthy vitamin D status. According to a new study from Environment International on older adults in China, the likelihood of VDD is negatively correlated with residential greenness and UV radiation but positively correlated with air pollution.